History Main / TearDryer

** Midway through ''Film/SpiderManNoWayHome'', Aunt May gets killed and Peter is visibly heartbroken. What follows this scene? The triumphant return of both Creator/AndrewGarfield and Creator/TobeyMaguire as their respective [[Film/TheAmazingSpiderManSeries Spider]]-[[Film/SpiderManTrilogy Man]].

* In the climax of ''WesternAnimation/Home2015'', Tip is left heartbroken after seeing Oh getting crushed by the Gorg mothership, especially after he gave her the egg containing the Gorg babies with a tearful smile. To Tip’s relief, she sees Oh alive, as he was under the hollow part of the mothership’s foot.

* ''VisualNovel/{{Clannad}}'': In the finale of ''~After Story~'', after an ''extremely'' tragic turn of events, Tomoya grabs enough orbs from the Illusionary World to reset time to the day he first met Nagisa. Fast forward to Ushio's birth -- Nagisa survives, Ushio is healthy, and they all live happily as a family.

* ''VisualNovel/{{Clannad}}'': In the finale of ''~After Story~'', after an ''extremely'' tragic turn of events, Tomoya grabs enough orbs from the Illusionary World to reset time to the day he first met Ushio. Fast forward to Ushio's birth -- Nagisa survives, Ushio is healthy, and they all live happily as a family.

** In ''Film/BackToTheFuturePartIII'', Marty returns to 1985, but the [=DeLorean=] is destroyed and Doc is stuck in 1885. Marty and Jennifer return to the wreckage of the time machine and then Doc appears in a train time machine with Clara and his sons Jules and Verne.

** The Eleventh Doctor's tear-jerking final monologue in "[[Recap/DoctorWhoCSTheTimeOfTheDoctor The Time of the Doctor]]" is followed by Twelve rambling about his kidneys and seemingly not knowing where he is.

** In the first episode of Season Two, "[[Recap/TheSimpsonsS2E1BartGetsAnF Bart Gets An 'F']]", Bart has been told that if he gets a failing grade on his upcoming test, he will be required to repeat the 4th grade. Bart actually cracks the books and studies, but [[SurprisinglyRealisticOutcome reality hits Bart like a brick]], and one Herculean effort does not make up for a lifetime of poor study habits. Bart gets an F. He breaks down crying, telling Mrs. Krabapple that he had really tried this time, and all she can do is try and comfort him. But then, just when it looks hopeless, Bart compares his loss to George Washington having to surrender to the French in 1754, an obscure bit of history. So impressed is Mrs. Krabapple about this applied knowledge, she gives him a bonus point on the test, which pushes him from an F to a D -, allowing him to pass.

You've reached [[TearJerker a moment of pure sadness]], a character, perhaps even several ones are crying, possibly mourning the death of the AllLovingHero who has just died, it seems like [[TheBadGuyWins the villains have won]] and [[DespairEventHorizon there's no hope left]].

* ''Film/AvengersEndgame'': After Tony Stark's funeral and a quiet scene of Clint and Wanda reminiscing about their own lost loved ones, we then cut to Thor ceding leadership of Asgard to Valkyrie before a humorous scene involving him and Star-Lord sniping at each other.
* Near the end of ''Film/BackToTheFuture'', Marty arrives too late at the parking mall to save Doc Brown after the latter's refusal to hear Marty warning him about his eventual fate back in 1955, and witnesses the terrorists shooting down his friend again. After the chase between the other Marty and the terrorists, he rushes to Doc's body, and breaks down in tears believing he lost him for good. But suddenly, the Doc blinks, slowly wakes up, Marty turns around and realizes he's still alive, the Doc then reveals that he's been wearing a bulletproof vest, and that he did read Marty's letter warning him about his death.

* Midway through ''Film/SpiderManNoWayHome'', Aunt May gets killed and Peter is visibly heartbroken. What follows this scene? The triumphant return of both Creator/AndrewGarfield and Creator/TobeyMaguire as their respective [[Film/TheAmazingSpiderManSeries Spider]]-[[Film/SpiderManTrilogy Man]].

* ''Series/OnlyFoolsAndHorses'': Grandad's funeral in "[[Recap/OnlyFoolsAndHorsesS4E02StrainedRelations Strained Relations]]" is played completely straight and is a sombre farewell to both the character and the actor. Del placing Granddad's favourite hat in the grave is both sad and heartwarming. Then it becomes hilarious when it turns out to be the vicar's hat.
* ''Series/RedDwarf'': In "[[Recap/RedDwarfThePromisedLand The Promised Land]]", Rimmer is both forced to be connected to an AchillesPowerCord and to go into low-power mode. After this, he is reminded by The Cat that he is no longer really Rimmer and that he is just a computer that functions according to what the ''real'' Rimmer would have done. Rimmer [[IdentityBreakdown undergoes]] a HeroicBSOD as a result of this and (also believing that nobody likes him and he is just a waste of space), [[DrivenToSuicide decides to run down his power source]]. However, Lister is able to convince Rimmer that they do indeed need him, which leads to him plugging himself back in.

Subtrope of MoodWhiplash. May result from a HellYesMoment. May overlap with SurprisinglyHappyEnding. Can overlap with FissionMailed in video games, BittersweetEnding if more emphasis is placed on the sweet, NotNowWereTooBusyCryingOverYou and NearVillainVictory. Contrast HopeSpot, SuddenDownerEnding and DiabolusExMachina. Compare ShockAndSwitchEnding and DespairSpot. This usually leads to a [[SugarWiki/HeartwarmingMoments heartwarming moment]].

* ''WesternAnimation/TheLittleMermaid1989'' still looks like it's headed towards a BittersweetEnding when Ursula has been destroyed, but she was Ariel's only chance at becoming human. Ariel sits sadly on a rock, watching Eric sleep, as if accepting that they can never be together. Triton then discusses with Sebastian "how much I'm going to miss her", and uses ''his'' magic to turn Ariel into a human. It then cuts to a wedding, where father and daughter properly reconcile and Triton accepts Eric.

** In "Rock-a-Bye-Bivalve", [=SpongeBob=] and Patrick notice that the baby clam they're trying to raise [[AdultFear is about to jump out of [=SpongeBob=]'s window]]. When they realize they didn't rescue him, they both scream "WE'RE BAD PARENTS!" and cry together. Then they discover that the clam didn't fall to his death because he learned to fly on his own.

* ''WesternAnimation/SpongeBobSquarePants'': In "[[Recap/SpongeBobSquarePantsS1E5PizzaDeliveryHomeSweetPineapple Home Sweet Pineapple]]", [=SpongeBob=] tearfully resigns himself to leaving Bikini Bottom with his parents due to his house's destruction, much to Patrick's sadness. But as he's about to ride off, a seed he unintentionally watered [[SwissArmyTears with his tears]] grows into a plant that drops a new pineapple home right where his old one used to be, meaning he doesn't have to move after all.

--->'''Squidward''': Well, ''this'' one's '''''on the house!'''''

* ''Film/BeautyAndTheBeast2017'': The Beast seemingly dies of his injuries after Gaston shoots him [[RuleOfThree three times]], and this is followed by the castle objects losing their sentience. Then Agathe comes in, and the Beast becomes human again, bringing him back to life. This also resurrects all the objects and turns them back into humans, and they reunite with their families shortly afterwards.

* In ''WesternAnimation/Frozen2013'', Elsa accidentally puts Anna into a state where she will turn into ice forever unless she finds an "act of true love." Everyone assumes this will be a classic TrueLovesKiss, but Anna gives up her chance to get one when she throws herself in front of an enemy's sword to protect Elsa, freezing completely in the process, and it seems like she's a goner... until she turns back to normal because that was [[ActOfTrueLove done out of sisterly love]].

* ''Film/TheWorldOfSuzieWong'' has one hell of a DownerEnding in sight where Suzie only forgives Robert because she needs help rescuing her baby during a storm. Then the storm turns into an earthquake, and the baby dies! The final scene is a funeral for Young Winston, with Suzie and Robert in attendance. At the end of the funeral, Robert proposes, confirming that this WillTheyWontThey couple will be alright.
--> '''Suzie:''' Robert, I'll be with you until you say "Suzie, go away"...
--> '''Robert:''' That long?

* ''WesternAnimation/TheCasagrandes'': In "[[Recap/TheCasagrandesS1E6StressTestHowToTrainYourCarl Stress Test]]", we learn that [[KindheartedSimpleton Bobby]] [[SurprisinglyRealisticOutcome keeps failing his]] AchievementTestOfDestiny. After several failed attempts to help him pass, poor Bobby [[InelegantBlubbering begins to weep uncontrollably]]. But before long, his kid sister Ronnie Anne notices that Bobby can calculate money costs with ease whenever he's working in the mercado, so she builds a replica mercado to help him pass his test.

* In ''WesternAnimation/Frozen2013'', Elsa accidentally puts Anna into a state where she will turn into ice forever unless she finds an "act of true love." Everyone assumes this will be a classic TrueLovesKiss, but Anna gives up her chance to get one when she throws herself in front of a sword to protect Elsa, freezing completely in the process, and it seems like she's a goner... until she turns back to normal because that was [[ActOfTrueLove done out of love]].

* In ''WesternAnimation/{{Pinocchio}}'', Pinocchio is though to have drowned and Geppetto, Jimminy, Figaro and Cleo are all grieving over him. Then the Blue Fairy makes him a real boy.

* Done in a bittersweet way in ''Series/OnceUponATime'' fanfic ''[[https://archiveofourown.org/works/13919166/chapters/32035638 Enchanted Tales with Belle]]''. Mr. Gold and Belle are utterly devastated when they find out an operation that can save Bae's life can't be done, only for the doctor to call them a short while later and tell them they ''will'' be going through with the operation after all. Where's the "bitter" part? The operation is lung transplant: [[DeathOfAChild another boy was killed]] and was found to be a suitable donor, and his mother refused to donate at first before changing her mind.